CD Reviews

Well Worth A Listen !

colin waid | Sydney,Australia | 12/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ms. Cook has proven time and again that she is a singer of great range,as this crossover album from 1977 shows.It's a comfy emotional easy-chair worth sinking into, and one of my favourite Barbara Cook albums.The songs(mostly Ballads) are well chosen and arranged,with standouts being "Ain't Love Easy","You and I",from the musical version of "Goodbye,Mr Chips",and Janis Ians' "Stars",given a superlative reading,and standing as one of my all-time favourite songs.The album has a Folk-Rock sound,and should be a part of any Barbara Cook collection."

Great!

Ravel | Montréal, Québec Canada | 09/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I do not know a lot of Cook's recordings but I always come back to this one...A great album of a happy singer with a great voice.To people who don't know her very well, listen to her in Candide's (Bernstein) Glitter and be Gay and you'll hear what kind of voice she has..."

MAGICAL & MAGNIFICENT VOCALS~BRAVO BARBARA!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 08/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barbara Cook was originally a Tony Award Winning leading lady on Broadway and the toast of the Musical Theater throughout the fifties and sixties then disappeared...by the mid-seventies the svelte figure was gone and Barbara emerged as a cabaret act and was then on to conquer Carnegie Hall and a bright new star was born! To go along with this new direction and image, which in no small part was guided brilliantly by the late Wally Harper, this tremendous studio lp showed that Barbara and Wally were a match made in musical heaven and they created a genuine vocal masterpiece that is wildly eclectic and masters every musical twist and turn from the old classics to new classic by composers such as Janis Ian! Opening strong with the powerful medley "Sing A Song With Me/Let Me Sing And I'm Happy", this riveting medley is an exciting anthem that Barbara still sings to great effect in concerts and always earns a well-deserved standing ovation and this version is nothing short of brilliant...multi-tracked power ballad "Why Did You Promise Me The World?" is a soulful & engrossing workout while the folksy "It Was" is genuine and amazing coming from a former Broadway musical star showing how truly versatile this great singer is. "You And I" from "Goodbye Mr. Chips" is haunting and a gorgeous vocal while the romantic "Ain't Love Easy" is moving and very catchy. Two brilliant Janis Ian form the centerpiece of this awesome collection of great performances and "Stars" is tailor made for Ms. Cook and she turns this one inside out giving a Grammy Award worthy performance..."Candlelight" is saved for the finale and this amazing passionate song leaves one breathless with its glorious vocal sung with so much depth of emotion. "Waiting" is fascinating while the drama and pathos of "One More Love Song" is a stunner that leads into a fantastic version of "What'll I Do" which is the best version ever of this classic. Thank you to Barbara and Wally for this treat and all of the musicians who rose to the occasion making this one of the greatest Vocal Masterpiece collections ever...don't miss this if you love a great voice!"

A different side of Barbara Cook

William S. Oser | Florida, USA | 06/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As of Today was released a year after the first Live at Carnegie Hall Album that is on Columbia Records. I was lucky enough to have seen Ms. Cook in performance in a lovely room in Boston around this time. Her live performances of Stars and Candlelight were thrilling but Ain't Love Easy just made me melt. Because of connections, I was able to attend these performances multiple times and bask in the glory of Ms. Cooks mastery. This album may not be to everyone's taste, as the song choices are somewhat different from what Barbara Cook efficianados have come to expect. These songs are more pop oriented than what Ms. Cook has normally been drawn to, which is why I find the album fascinating. There are a couple of misses on the album, I don't care for Why Did you Promise me the World and It Was, but the 2 Janis Ian songs, Wally Harper's Ravelish arrangement of You and I and Ain't Love Easy make this album a necessary part of any Barbara Cook fans collection."